MG4 review - Range, charging & running costs

While electric cars are typically much more affordable to run than the average petrol or diesel car, high price tags can place them out of reach for many buyers. Then there’s the MG4 which costs around the same as a similarly-sized, petrol-powered Volkswagen Golf and still offers an impressive electric range to boot.

If you spend most of your time driving around town, or are just looking for a cheap-to-run second car, the standard 51kWh model makes the most sense with its 218-mile range. Those looking to take the MG4 on longer trips should consider upgrading to the Long Range model with its 281-mile range, or even the Extended Range version, which can travel as many as 323 miles (officially, according to WLTP tests) before needing a top up. Whichever you go for, you’ll pay less for the MG4 than even base versions of the Volkswagen ID.3.

Plugging in at home via a 7kW home wallbox will charge the MG4’s battery in around nine hours – a standard three-pin plug socket will take significantly longer. All versions of the MG4 get at least 117kW DC rapid charging capability, though (the Extended Range car boosts that to 140kW), which means if you’re able to find a compatible public charger, you can top up from 10-80% in around 30-40 minutes. 

All of this will be necessary as, during our winter tests, our MG4 Long Range test car consistently delivered around 100 miles less than its stated range – even during regular driving. The MG4 takes much more favourably to warmer weather, where we’ve seen the car match its official numbers, and in some cases – especially when driving around town – surpass them.

We’ve also since tested the Extended Range model, which managed a 4.6kWh per mile efficiency figure when we kept it in ‘Eco’ mode and resisted using mod-cons such as the climate control, putting it about on par with its claimed 323-mile total range figure. We’d estimate between 250 to 280 miles of range when using the MG4 Extended Range in a more carefree manner.

Insurance

Electric cars are typically more expensive to insure than the equivalent petrol or diesel model and the MG4 is no exception; entry-level models sit in group 27 out of 50, while top-of-the-range XPower versions, with their 429bhp sit in group 40. Both Trophy models (Long Range and Extended Range) post ratings somewhere in between – on par with the Kia Niro EV which sits in groups 28 and 29.